Never Thought This Day Would Come
by bibleboymary4ever
Summary: Tristan shows up to watch the Chilton graduation and he's in for a surprise. Rory is valedictorian? One-parter, shades of Trory.


Disclaimer: If I owned Gilmore Girls I wouldn't write fan fiction!  
  
Shipping: Shades of Trory, Tristan's reflections on Rory's graduation speech.  
  
Thank you: Katherine, for helping me write this! Hellie, Loz, Lola, Lauren, you guys are the greatest! Yay OF's!  
  
Tristan sauntered into the once familiar halls. Nearing the bend which brought him out into the courtyard, he was greeted by Headmaster Charleston's voice.  
  
*It's a distinct pleasure for me to introduce to you our valedictorian. This young lady was a second-year transfer from a modest school where she distinguished herself immeasureably. She is humble, hard-working, competitive when need be, and unparalleled in her academic achievements. Ladies and gentlemen, Rory Gilmore.*  
  
Holy Shit, he thought, Mary made valedictorian? Wow, I wonder how Paris feels. As he leaned against a pillar, he searched the crowd for her memorable strawberry blonde locks. Tristan was shocked to see her grinning and clapping her hands loudly as Rory made her way to the podium.  
  
As Rory stepped up there and smiled contently at the crowd, Tristan scowled. His suit was making him uncomfortable, it was so different than the stiff military uniform which had been his life for the past year and a half. As she spoke, Tristan loosened his tie.  
  
*Headmaster Charleston, faculty members, fellow students, family, and friends. Welcome.*  
  
Funny how quickly he became excluded from such a large group. He wasn't her friend, he didn't think. He certainly wasn't related to the Princess. No longer was he a fellow high school student, having graduated several days earlier from the Academy. Nor was he a Chilton faculty member or the Headmaster who had given his parents the brochure of the military school in North Carolina.  
  
*We never thought this day would come. We prayed for its quick delivery, crossed days off our calendars, counted hours, minutes and seconds and now that it's here, I'm sorry it is because it means leaving friends who inspire me and teachers who have been my mentors, so many people who have shaped my life and my fellow students' lives impermeably and forever.*  
  
This day would never come is right. When I went to Chilton I wanted nothing more then to get put of here, these ugly grey gargoyles and these stupid teachers, stupid people. Yeouch, there's Madeline and Louise ogling Matt. Didn't he sleep with Louise at a party once?  
  
*I live in two worlds. One is a world of books. I've been a resident of Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County, hunted the white whale aboard the Pequod, fought alongside Napoleon, sailed a raft with Huck and Jim, committed absurdities with Ignatius J. Reilly, rode a sad train with Anna Karenina and strolled down Swan's Way.*  
  
Aw, how sweet. Mary has no life.  
  
*It's a rewarding world but my second one is by far superior. My second one is populated with characters slightly less eccentric but supremely real, made of flesh and bone, full of love, who are my ultimate inspiration for everything. Richard and Emily Gilmore are kind, decent, unfailingly generous people. They are my twin pillars without whom I could not stand. I am proud to be their grandchild.*  
  
Yep, generous in that they pay for her education. But that birthday bash they threw her was pretty nice. She wore a gorgeous green dress; it hugged all the right places. She looks nice right now too, very happy  
  
*But my ultimate inspiration comes from my best friend, the dazzling woman from whom I received my name and my life's blood, Lorelai Gilmore.*  
  
Tristan rolled his eyes. The valedictorian at his school had done a tribute to his mother, as well. Regardless to say, his dorm room was a single.  
  
*My mother never gave me any idea that I couldn't do whatever I wanted to do or be whomever I wanted to be. She filled our house with love and fun and books and music unflagging in her efforts to give me role models from Jane Austen to Eudora Welty to Patty Smith.*  
  
Who the hell is she talking about? Eudora Welty? Patty Smith? I think Jane Austen wrote that book Emma we had to read in 9th grade English.  
  
*As she guided me though these incredible eighteen years, I don't know if she ever realized that the person I most wanted to be was her. Thank you, Mom, you're my guidepost for everything. As we prepare ourselves, today, to leave. *  
  
Tristan sighed and watched they lined up to receive their diplomas. It was funny how life worked out, if he hadn't gotten drunk that night, if they hadn't wondered what was in Bowman's dads safe, if he had improved his grades in Military school & chose to graduate from Chilton.but Tristan wasn't the kind of guy who thought about the IF'S.  
  
He watched as Josh Brinkley walked up to receive his diploma. He had been on the lacrosse team with Josh. Tristan wondered how he had managed to graduate. Suddenly noticing Mr. Brinkley standing up and clapping loudly, he remembered that Senior was on Chilton's Board of Trustees.  
  
Tristan scanned the crowd for familiar faces. He landed upon Duncan in the line, standing where Tristan would have stood. Shaking his head, he recalled all the stupid things they had done together. And that's exactly what they were. Stupid. Idiot didn't deserve to graduate from Chilton, Tristan did.  
  
He took out the keys to his car and headed to the parking lot just as they called out the one name that ever mattered.  
  
Rory Gilmore. 


End file.
